


Edges

by RedLeaderfic



Category: Ring of Honor, 新日本プロレス | New Japan Pro-Wrestling
Genre: Bullet Club Demon, Gen, Origin Story, Questionable Mentoring
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-08
Updated: 2018-11-08
Packaged: 2019-08-06 19:32:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,059
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16393823
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedLeaderfic/pseuds/RedLeaderfic
Summary: Something is calling Jay White.





	Edges

**Author's Note:**

  * For [beedekka](https://archiveofourown.org/users/beedekka/gifts).



> Happy Trick or Treat day!

**Chicago, 2017**

Jay liked lingering after matches, when the arena was quiet and he could find some space to think, sometimes for the first time all day. For all that he’d been there months he still wasn’t used to the rhythm of Chicago but in that space between when the audience cleared out and the ring came down it didn’t matter where he was, that felt the same no matter where it happened. 

He was caught by surprise when Punishment strolled up from the back and settled beside him, leaning against the guardrail facing the ring with his long legs stretched out. Punishment was normally one of the last ones out too, he was another one who sought out some quiet after his match but rarely did he seek any company during it. “You hear it, don’t you?” Punishment said after a few moments of companionable silence. He tapped one finger against his temple, glancing at Jay. “What’s calling you?”

Jay blinked at him. “I…no?”

Punishment shook his head. “Don’t get how you don’t when I can.” He looked back at the ring, his arms folded across his chest. “You should listen,” he said, the tone in his voice raising the hair on Jay’s arms. “The kind of thing that’s calling you, it doesn’t usually do it for long.” 

Jay looked away, his heart pounding although he couldn’t have said why. For the briefest instant Jay felt…something. Something coiling and hot that wrapped around his spine, but before he could take a breath it was gone. He looked up at Punishment, who just gave him a _hey, don’t look at me_ shrug. That he and Punishment had become…if not friends then at least _friendly_ over the past months of feuding still surprised Jay sometimes. “C’mon, kid,” Punishment said, pushing himself up from the barricade. “Pretty sure whoever you rode in with ditched you, I didn’t see anyone left back there and there’s a new Cuban place I want to try.”

***

Back at the little flat he’d rented Jay flopped down on the bed, Punishment’s words from before still echoing. Neither of them had brought it up again the whole night until the they were both sitting in the cab outside Jay’s place, waiting for the driver to drag Jay’s gear bag out of the trunk. “ _Do me a favor_ ,” Punishment had said. “ _Make sure you listen tonight. Really listen_.”

Punishment Martinez…well, he was an odd duck, no denying that, but he _knew_ things. The rest of the roster didn’t believe that he did but Jay had two working eyes, he could tell something true from something that was just flash. Not that Punishment cared if Jay or anyone else thought he was for real, he didn’t much care what anyone else thought and Jay admired that about him.

And try as he might deny it Jay had felt off and strange for most of the past week. He’d told himself it was the seemingly endless excursion getting to him, the excursion and this city and whispers he kept hearing when no one knew he was listening: _“You see that White kid? Hell of a match with Ospreay last night, just wish there was more to him, y’know?” “You really think they’ll call him back? White’s got talent but would you pay just to see him?”_

Jay swallowed the bile back at memory and closed his eyes. He was more than ready to listen to something else.

For a very long time nothing happened. It wasn’t until he’d almost fallen asleep, when he’d been lulled into that liminal in-between that he finally heard…something. Something like the buzz of a mosquito by his ear, or the static of a between stations radio playing in another room.

He opened his eyes and saw that the lights had gone out even though he’d pointedly left them on. Light filtering in from the street created strange shadows in the room, shadows he slowly realized were moving. Jay had never experienced sleep paralysis but he thought this must be what it would be like; the shadows coalesced along the far wall, skittering like a humanoid spider. That heat around his spine was back, down his fingertips, throbbing inside his teeth. The thing made of shadow cocked its head at him and Jay didn’t hear words, he felt them: Promise. _Potential_. 

Jay knew there would never be a drug that could even come close to matching this. “What do you want?” His lips were dry.

The thing cocked its head again. This time it did use words, a faint almost Irish lilt to its impossible voice. _What would you give me?_

***

Jay leaned his arms against the lakefront trail railing and looked over out the water. Grey storm clouds were just beginning to roll in, he guessed they had maybe a few hours before the storm hit. The weather was already starting to turn colder, the wind cutting the way it did in winter. 

He breathed a quiet sigh of relief when Punishment sauntered up the trailway and leaned beside him, wearing black sunglasses and exuding a presence that made tourists on either side of them step back. When Jay had texted him that morning he hadn’t gotten a response and he hadn’t known if Punishment had even still been in the city. He shouldn’t have doubted. “Guess you’re hearing it now,” Punishment said.

“Does it call you?”

“Me? Nah. Other things call me but not that. I’m not really a…team player. Not too sure you are either but maybe you can fake it better than I can, we’ll see.”

Jay licked his lips. “I don’t…I don’t know what it wants from me.”

Punishment shrugged. “Depends on what you want from it. You just want a little boost, then give it something small.”

“You don’t sound too approving of that.”

“I don’t like dabbling.” The wind blew strong off the water; Jay zipped his jacket up but Punishment stood there not moving with his hair blown back, like he was staring the wind down. “If you’re serious about this, then you give it something important. Something you can’t replace. But make sure it’s not something you’ll ask for back later, that’s when things get ugly. You have to commit to it.”

Jay nodded; somewhere down deep he’d known that would be the answer. 

“Heard you got some good news.”

Jay shook his head, suddenly embarrassed enough to try to hide his face. “You shouldn’t have heard anything. I’m not supposed to have heard anything, there’s nothing official.”

“Official enough. Here, I got you a graduation present.”

Jay looked up, genuinely surprised. “You bought me something?” Punishment nodded, pulling something unwrapped out of his pocket. What he handed to Jay was a slim black handled switchblade, heavier than it looked; Jay puzzled over it for a few seconds, trying to find the release. “How do I….?” Punishment reached over and showed him the trigger, watching as Jay released the blade a few times until he was sure Jay knew how it worked. The blade was two-sided and sharp when Jay tested it against his thumb. “Why did you buy me a knife?”

“Always liked these,” Punishment said, taking it from Jay and toying with it between his fingers. “Used to carry one just like it when I was a kid. Easy to palm, easy to overlook. Then just when everyone has you underestimated ---” Before Jay could blink Punishment brought the sheathed knife around in an arc and pressed it against the side of Jay’s neck. Jay didn’t flinch and Punishment laughed, handing it back to him. “Anyway, one of my cousins just opened up a shop in Red Hook and the last time I was in town he gave me a tour, spotted it then. I don’t know. Felt like it had your name written all over it.”

“I can’t have one of these in Japan though, it’s illegal.”

“Who says.” Jay looked up at him. “That’s young lion talk. If you have the balls to answer that thing calling you then you have the balls to do whatever the fuck you want, don’t you ever forget that.” 

Jay turned the knife over in his hands a few more times, catching his distorted reflection in the handle’s black gloss. “Thank you.” 

Punishment lounged back against the railing. “Speaking of names, you figure out yours yet, or your gear? The black trunks aren’t going to cut it anymore.”

“Still sussing that out,” Jay admitted.

“Well hurry it up, you want to make sure they can hype you.”

“You have been… _uncommonly_ nice to me during this whole excursion.”

“When I’m not hitting you with chairs and kendo sticks, you mean.”

“I still have the winning record.”

“Yeah, yeah, don’t get a big head.” 

“But yes, especially since we’ve been trying to kill each other for much of it.”

Punishment shrugged again. “Every time we were out there you gave me a fight, I like that. Never been one of those guys who tries to hold the new kids down, it’s weak. If you can’t protect your spot without that you don’t deserve it.” He went quiet for a few moments. “There’s something to you, always has been. Glad I was right about it.”

“I wish everyone saw what you do.”

“Trick is not to give them a choice about it.”

“You should come to Japan,” Jay said. “You would be a sensation there, New Japan has plenty of foreigners who come in and get by on their size but none of them can move like you.”

Punishment shook his head. “Got my eyes on another prize.” He sighed, looking back over the water. “I don't believe in advice,” he said, seeming like he was choosing his words carefully. “The important things in life you have to learn for yourself but if I was gonna to give any it would just be this: don’t ever let yourself get comfortable. The second you do that is when you’ll find that knife buried right in your back. Let everyone else make that mistake.” He checked his watch and straightened up. “I gotta catch a plane back to New York, I’ll catch you next time you’re stateside,” he said, glaring up at the encroaching storm clouds like he was daring them to delay his flight. “And if Ring of Honor is still signing my checks when you win your first title I get a crack at it.”

“I’ll see if they let….” Jay caught himself. “Might do,” he said instead, feeling something in his blood race.

“See? Learning already.”

Jay watched him stalk off and turned back to the view, looking back against the stretch of water. He triggered the blade of the knife and tilted it so he could see his eyes reflected in the steel.

**Tokyo, February 2018**

Jay helped Finlay up to sitting, letting his head rest against Jay’s leg. The match had felt like stepping back in time, like the two of them would be going back to the dojo to talk it over all night just like the old days. Finlay flicked his hair out of his face, looking up at Jay with dazed…adoration was the only word Jay could find and he felt something catch in his throat. Finlay had met him at the airport and hugged him so hard Jay’s ribs had ached the next day. That first night back they’d stayed up talking just like that had so many nights in their dojo days, all the big dreams they’d had: long tag title reigns. Main eventing the Tokyo Dome together. And that match had been everything they’d dreamed it could be, they’d had the crowd, it had been effortless. Comfortable.

Jay gave himself one more second to enjoy David Finlay looking at him like that. 

Then he moved his leg and trapped Finlay’s arm. Jay kept the eye contact steady as Finlay’s eyes moved all the way from confusion to dawning horror and Jay felt a zap of electricity right to the base of his spine. He snarled and launched a series of stabbing elbows, feeling the hair on his neck stand up when Finlay cried out, the rush growing with each strike. He finally let himself be dragged off and walked to the back, the outrage of the shocked crowd following him like a welcome ghost. He stalked past all the disapproving glares in the back until he found and empty room; Jay dropped to his knees and screamed, tears burning the backs of his eyes. He squeezed his hands into fists against the floor and watched as the shadows in the room began to stretch inward; Jay felt pinpricks of heat rush up and down his arms, something new settling into place around his pounding heart. “So we’re agreed then?”

Jay smiled as he listened to the wordless answer.

He heard approaching footsteps, then before he could turn around: “Where did you even fucking come from?” he heard in soft, awed voice.

Jay turned his head and saw Tama Tonga standing in the doorway. Tama seemed to recognize…something in Jay’s eyes and took an involuntary set back, and Jay brushed past him without acknowledgement. 

There would be time for that later.

**Toronto, May 2018**

Well, Punishment had asked for it. And he’d certainly made it a closer call than Jay would have liked.

Jay showered the remnants of the match off, taking few minutes to sit and breathe and think about how much pain his back and shoulders would be in come morning. He got dressed and headed off to find Punishment, Jay knew him well enough to know he’d be secluded off somewhere. Jay finally found him sitting on the floor alone in a side room still in his gear, pain and disappointment all over his face. Punishment rubbed his neck, visibly wincing, and Jay wondered if might actually have injured him. It was an odd feeling; Jay knew at once point he would have felt guilt about that but now there was only annoyance that he might have been careless enough to do that without meaning to. 

Punishment finally looked up and saw Jay standing in the doorway. “ _This_ close, kid,” he said, holding two fingers up, the growl in his voice even rougher than usual. “If that idiot Page hadn’t shown up I would’ve had you.”

“Don’t make excuses,” Jay said, scoffing at him. Jay walked over and sat beside him, feeling a burst of pride at the red welts he’d raised on Punishment’s chest. 

“You sure stuck me good with that…the hell do you call it, Bladerunner?” Punishment said, rubbing his neck again.

“You shouldn’t have made me work so hard for it.”

Punishment gave him a _Yeah, guess you have a point_ shrug. He leaned his head against the wall, closing his eyes. “I like the new color scheme.”

Jay smiled. “Thought you might.”

“Why the hell are you running with those jokers?” Punishment said, shaking his head. “I don’t get it.”

“I know what I’m doing.”

“I hope so, I sure wouldn’t inflict Chuck Taylor on myself if I had any other option.” He winced again, holding one arm out. “Help an old man up.”

Jay stood and wrapped one hand around Punishment’s wrist; as Punishment started to move Jay felt a dark little whisper in his ear and tightened his grip. Before Jay could take another breath he felt Punishment tense, shifting his weight to his back foot and meeting Jay’s eyes with a glare; Jay knew he might get the Bladerunner off but even exhausted Punishment was taller, stronger and had at least a 50/50 shot of getting a kick off before Jay could lock it in. And he knew it. “Not today, kid”

Jay tipped his chin up and let Punishment’s hand drop, watching him brace himself against the wall. “Wanted to see if you followed your own advice.”

Punishment gave him what was very close to an approving smile. “Always.” He pushed himself up to standing, having to catch himself once when his leg almost gave way; Jay didn’t offer assistance and Punishment didn’t ask for any. “Let me clean up, you can catch me up on what you’ve been up to. Champion buys,” he said, clapping one hand on Jay’s shoulder. “You’ve changed. Looks good on you.”

A year ago Jay knew he would have been overwhelmed by that amount of praise. Now he could only agree.

**Tokyo, October 2018**

Tama had been talking a mile a minute since the they’d escaped the arena and Jay had never seen anything like it. He had no idea when the man breathed. “Did you _see_ that dumb motherfucker? Did he really think for a second we were all on the same side? That’s the Okada that broke all those records? _That’s_ the guy Kenny couldn’t beat for all that time? Shee- _it_ , taking all this over is gonna be so fucking easy, I can’t believe it.”

He kept going on as they all settled onto the bus, enough that Jay started to tune him out since he clearly wasn’t looking for a response. Jay’s text alert chimed and he smiled to see a message from Punishment: _Okay now I get it_

Jay glanced around to make sure he wasn’t spied on, then answered: _not done yet_

Jay took a minute or so, then he texted: _heard you got some good news. make sure new york treats you right_

He grinned at the answer: _New York is my town it’s got no choice. You keep doing your thing_

Jay typed out _I will_ and put his phone away. Tama had finally talked himself out and was stretched out across the seats, his legs hanging over the armrest. Tanga and Fale were already asleep and the bus was quiet. “Comfortable, Tama?”

“Hell, I haven’t felt this good in years. I feel like everything’s finally coming together.”

“So do I.”

Before long Tama had dropped off to sleep and Jay watched the shadows on the bus curl inward. “Yes, I think so too,” he said to the waiting darkness.

Jay watched Tama for a few more moments, then he took his knife out of his pocket. He studied the reflection in the blade and smiled.


End file.
